Programme Marco Polo II (2007-2013), financial assistance to improve the environmental peformance of freight transport

Pending the first reading in the European Parliament, the Council1 unanimously adopted a partial general approach on the proposal for a Regulation establishing the second "Marco Polo" programme (2007-2013) for the granting of Community financial assistance to improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system. It is a partial general approach because the Council will not adopt a decision on the budgetary envelope for the programme until a decision has been taken on the financial perspective for the period 2007-2013.

The Council agreed to alter the general level of contract value and traffic shift thresholds as follows:

- Catalyst : EUR 2 million (EUR 3 million proposed by the Commission) ;

- Motorways of the sea : EUR 2,5 million; EUR 1,25 billion tonnes/km (EUR 4 billion and EUR 2 billion tonnes/km proposed by the Commission);

- Modal shift : EUR 0,5 million; 250 000 tonnes/km (EUR 1 million and 500 000 tonnes/km proposed by the Commission);

- Traffic avoidance : EUR 1 million;  500 000 tonnes/km (no changes);

- Common learning : EUR 250 000 (no changes).